We examined predictors of positive feelings in friendship. Pairs of same-sex (female–female) and cross-sex (female–male) friends completed questionnaires about each other. Positive feelings covaried directly with friendship level (e.g., best versus good) and with benefits from the relationship (i.e., the degree to which friendship functions were fulfilled); but various measures of imbalance in the relationship–net benefit, unsigned net benefit, and inequality–did not improve prediction. Nonetheless, there was limited evidence that, independent of other predictors, positive feelings covaried inversely with inequity (i.e., with the degree to which the net benefit-to-contribution ratios of the two friends differed). Because positive feelings mainly reflect the degree to which friendship functions are fulfilled, the data support a functional view of friendship. However, if imbalance in a friendship is at all important, it appears to be imbalance measured in terms of inequity.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Aboud, F. E., & Mendelson, M. J. (1996). Determinants of friendship selection and quality: Developmental perspectives. In A. F. Newcomb, W. M. Bukowski, & W. W. Hartup (Eds.), Friendship in children and adolescents(pp. 87–112). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press .
2.
Asher, S. T., & Parker, J. G. (1989). Significance of peer relationship problems in childhood.In B. H. Schneider, G. Attili, J. Nadel, & R. P. Weissberg (Eds.), Social competence in developmental perspective(pp. 5–23). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer .
3.
Benton A. A. (1971). Productivity, distributive justice, and bargaining among children . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 18, 68–71 .
4.
Berman, J. J., & Murphy-Berman, V. A. (1996). Cultural differences in perceptions of allocators of resources . Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 27, 494–509 .
5.
Blieszner, R. (1989). Older adult friendship: Structure and process. Newbury Park, CA: Sage .
6.
Blieszner, R. (1992). Adult friendship. Newbury Park, CA: Sage .
7.
Bukowski, W. M., Hoza, B., & Boivin, M. (1994). Measuring friendship quality during pre- and early adolescence: The development and psychometric properties of the Friendship Qualities Scale . Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 11, 471–484 .
8.
Buunk, B. P., & Van Yperen, N. W. (1991). Referential comparisons, relational comparisons, and exchange orientation: Their relation to marital satisfaction . Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 7, 710–717 .
9.
Cate, R. M., & Lloyd, S. A. (1988). The role of rewards and fairness in developing premarital relationships . Journal of Marriage and the Family, 50, 443–452 .
10.
Cate, R. M., Lloyd, S. A., & Henton, J. M. (1985). The effect of equity, equality, and reward level on the stability of students’ premarital relationships . Journal of Social Psychology, 125, 715–721 .
11.
Cate, R. M., Lloyd, S. A., Henton, J. M., & Larson, J. H. (1982). Fairness and reward level as predictors of relationship satisfaction . Social Psychology Quarterly, 45, 177–181 .
12.
Chiu, C. (1990). Distributive justice among Hong-Kong Chinese college students . Journal of Social Psychology, 130, 649–656 .
13.
Clark, M. S., & Mills, J. (1979). Interpersonal attraction in exchange and communal relationships . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 37, 12–24 .
14.
Deutsch, M. (1975). Equity, equality, and need: What determines which will be used as the basis of distributive justice . Journal of Social Issues, 31(3), 137–149 .
15.
Dindia, K., & Allen, M. (1992). Sex differences in self-disclosure: A meta-analysis .Psychological Bulletin, 112, 106–124 .
16.
Foa, U. G., & Foa, E. B. (1974). Societal structures of the mind. Springfield, IL: Thomas .
17.
Furman, W., & Buhrmester, D. (1985). Children’s perceptions of the personal relationships in their social networks . Developmental Psychology, 21, 1016–1024 .
18.
Gaines, S. O., Jr. (1996). Impact of interpersonal traits and gender-role compliance on interpersonal resource exchange among dating and engaged/married couples . Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 13, 241–261 .
19.
Gaines, S. O., Jr., Rugg, M. A., Zemore, S. E., Armm, J. L., Yum, N., Law, A., Underhill, J.M., & Feldman., K. (1999). Gender-related personality traits and interpersonal resource exchange among brother–sister relationships . Personal Relationships, 6, 187–198 .
20.
Hatfield, E., Utne, M. K., & Traupmann, J. (1978). Equity theory and intimate relationships. In R. L. Burgess & T. L. Huston (Eds.), Exchange in developing relationships(pp. 99–133). New York: Academic Press .
21.
Jonsson, D., & Foa, U. G. (1985). Nationality, resources, and allocation rules . International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 9, 51–77 .
22.
Lewis, R. J., Winstead, B. A., & Derlega, B. J. (1989). Gender differences in volunteering for friendship research . Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 4, 623–632 .
23.
Meeker, B., & Elliott, G. C. (1996). Reward allocations, gender, and task performance . Social Psychology Quarterly, 59, 294–301 .
24.
Mendelson, M. J., & Aboud, F. E. (1996, August). Measuring friendship quality in late adolescents and young adults . Poster presented at the meeting of the American Psychological Association, Toronto, ON.
25.
Mendelson, M. J., & Aboud F. E. (1999). Measuring friendship quality in late adolescents and young adults: The McGill Friendship Questionnaires . Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 31, 130–132 .
26.
Mendelson, M. J., & Kay, A. C. (2000, August). Positive feelings in friendship: Does imbalance in the relationship matter? Poster presented at the meeting of the American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C.
27.
Michaels, J. W., Edwards, J. N., & Acock, A. C. (1984). Satisfaction in intimate relationships as a function of inequality, inequity, and outcomes . Social Psychology Quarterly47, 347–357 .
28.
Morgan W. R., & Sawyer, J. (1967). Bargaining, expectations, and the preference for equality over equity . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology6, 139–144 .
29.
Newcomb, A. F., Bukowski, W. M., & Hartup, W. W. (Eds.). (1996). Friendship in children and adolescents. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press .
30.
Peterson, C. (1981). Equity, equality, and marriage . Journal of Social Psychology, 113, 283–284 .
31.
Robinson, J. P., & Shaver, P. R. (1973). Measures of social psychological attitudes. Ann Arbor, MI: Institute for Social Research .
32.
Sprecher, S. (1986). The relation between inequity and emotions in close relationships . Social Psychology Quarterly, 49, 309–321 .
33.
Tabachnik, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (1996). Using multivariate statistics(3rd ed.). New York: HarperCollins .
34.
Traupmann, J. (1975). Equity, restoration, and friendship. Unpublished manuscript, University of Wisconsin.
35.
Utne, M. K., Hatfield, E., & Traupmann, J. (1984). Equity, marital satisfaction, and stability .Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 1, 323–332 .
36.
Van Kreveld, D., & Van Beeman, E. K. (1978). Distributing goods and benefits: A framework and review of research . Gedrag: Tijdschrift Voor Psychologie, 6, 361–401 .
37.
Wagstaff, G. F. (1997). Equity versus equality in allocations to adults and children . Journal of Social Psychology, 137, 445–448 .
38.
Walster, E., Walster, G. W., & Berscheid, E. (1978). Equity: Theory and research. Boston: Allyn and Bacon .
39.
Walster, E., Walster, G. W. & Traupmann, J. (1978). Equity and premarital sex . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 36, 82–92 .
40.
Winn, K. I., Crawford, D. W., & Fischer, J. L. (1991). Equity and commitment in romanceversus friendship . Journal of Social Behaviour and Personality, 6, 301–314 .
41.
Wright, P. H. (1991). The Acquaintance Description Form: What it is and how to use it.Unpublished manuscript, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota.
